Nail Anatomy

Nail Anatomy & Structure

The parts of the natural nail and how nails grow.

~7 min read·3 sections·4 key terms

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Parts of the Nail Unit

• NAIL PLATE — the visible hardened keratin you polish. • NAIL BED — the skin beneath the plate the nail sits on. • MATRIX — where nail cells are produced (growth happens here); damage to the matrix can deform the nail. • LUNULA — the visible whitish half-moon at the base (the front of the matrix). • CUTICLE — dead tissue overlapping the nail plate; the EPONYCHIUM is the living skin at the base. • FREE EDGE — the part of the plate that extends past the fingertip.

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Nail Growth

Nails are made of KERATIN (the same protein as skin and hair). They grow from the MATRIX — this is the only living, growing part of the nail; the plate itself is dead.

Fingernails grow about 1/8 inch per month, faster in summer and on the dominant hand. A nail takes roughly 4-6 months to fully replace itself. Damaging the matrix can permanently affect nail shape.

Healthy Nails

A healthy natural nail is whitish-pink, smooth, flexible, and firmly attached. It contains water and a small amount of oil, which keep it flexible.

The nail tech's job is to keep the natural nail and surrounding skin healthy while enhancing appearance. Never cut living tissue (the eponychium) — only push back and remove dead cuticle.

📖 Key Terms

Matrix: The area where nail cells are produced; the only growing part of the nail.
Nail plate: The visible, hardened keratin surface of the nail.
Lunula: The whitish half-moon at the base of the nail (front of the matrix).
Eponychium: The living skin at the base of the nail plate — never cut it.

💡 Exam Tips

▸The matrix is where nails grow — damage there can deform the nail.
▸Nails are made of keratin; the plate is dead, the matrix is living.
▸Never cut the eponychium (living tissue) — only remove dead cuticle.
▸Fingernails grow about 1/8 inch per month.